Rebellion
by GryphonoftheNorth
Summary: They need to unite against their common foe if they're to survive, but Micah can't do it on his own. Rebel needs help to start his rebellion. Co-Authored by Leetle Sprinkles, OCs, mostly AU after Cold Snap.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Yes, I am writing a non-crack!fic. Crazy, I know. Anywho this is co-authored by my bestest friend Sprinkles (A.M.G.T.Z.D.) We're giving this a try because it seemed like it'd be fun but I have no idea how it's going to turn out, so try not to be **_**too**_** hard on us. As always, reviews are love ^^**

**Disclaimer: We own none of the Heroes-verse, only our OCs**

**Shameless Advertising: If you haven't already, do check out my collection of Heroes crack!fics**

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Prologue

She was dead, he was sure of it. He was also sure that it was all his fault. No, maybe not, but it sure felt that way.

He'd heard the shot, the shattering of solid ice as a bullet sent splinters of it skittering across the already icy floor. It played in his head like a broken record. The imagined fate of his aunt spinning in his fevered mind over and over, accompanied by his thudding footsteps and racing heart.

He seemed to have had run for hours before he let himself slow down, panting hard, plopping down on a bench, camouflaged by the busy crowd. Hot tears pooled in his eyes, threatening to fall for the first time since his mom had died as he sat there, staring blankly at the hurrying passersby.

She had died to save him, just like his mom had for Monica. The sisters who had never met were alike in more than just appearance it would seem. Robert Frost was on to something, he thought wryly, both fire and ice had both ended his world just fine.

He couldn't do this on his own, not anymore. He couldn't keep up the cryptic hints, giving people messages and hoping they listened. People like him couldn't run forever, he couldn't help them forever. They needed to stand up together, show the world that they would not be hunted, not anymore. And he would help them, but he couldn't do it alone.

Micah Sanders pulled out his phone, his eyes closing as he communicated with it. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he opened his eyes again, reading the lines of information that scrolled across the screen in tiny letters. Perfect.


	2. Paradigm Shift

**A/N: Thanks to the only reviewer (so far) Uhlowl22! Reviews = Love, as does creative criticism. This chapter and the next are just introductory chapters for our OCs. This one is mine, the next is Sprinkles (Now her penname is now Leetle Sprinkles) Enjoy ^^**

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Chapter 1: Paradigm Shift

_Some say the world will end in fire,_

_Some say in ice_

_From what I've tasted of desire_

_I hold with those who favor fire_

_But if it had to perish twice,_

_I think I know enough of hate_

_To say that for destruction ice_

_Is also great_

_And would suffice_

_---Robert Frost_

An entire essay? On such a short poem? Due tomorrow? Now _this_ was hell. Personally he was betting on the world ending in nuclear war, perhaps a global pandemic. Maybe death by unstoppable army of Florida pet store snakes. Or zombies. Whatever floats your boat.

Nian Branwen sighed in frustration, resisting the temping urge to beat his head against the wall_. This _is why you shouldn't procrastinate, he told himself. Psh, like he wouldn't do the same next time. Slowly he closed his eyes, just enjoying the darkness for a moment. Maybe he would take a nap. Yeah, that'd be ni--

"Ow!" His eyes flew open as he jerked suddenly into the sitting position, his hand flying to the searing pain in his scalp. "Barney…" he groaned, prying the kitten off his head. "You think you're so cute you can just get away with anything?" The kitten squirmed in his hands, a light brown clump of hair easily visible against his black fur as he steadfastly refused to relinquish his prize. "…and you'd be right." Nian sighed, losing to the playful kitten.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, most in surprise than pain this time, dropping Barney like a hot potato. Bemused he studied his hands, trying to make sense of the almost static shock like feeling that had passed from the kitten into him, and then the cat, who seemed unfazed, albeit a little disgruntled at being dropped.

Shooing the kitten off his bed Nian went back to staring at his still nonexistent essay.

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That night he had a dream. Or a nightmare, he hadn't really decided which yet. Was this odd? Not to a normal person, but Nian couldn't remember having a dream, much less a nightmare, in six years. Not since he dreamed of dinosaurs devouring his fifth grade class.

It started with a feverish heat, smoldering just under his skin, quickly followed by a burning itch sweeping over him like a wave. His dark brown eyes snapped open, only to be met with the lumpy shadows formed by the moonlight filtering through his window. He squeezed them tightly shut again, a wave of nausea rolling through him as he curled inward, into a burning, itching ball.

And then it stopped.

He tentatively cracked an eyelid open, afraid that even breathing would send him back into a fit. It didn't, and after his swift peek at the new world, his eyes stretched wide, as if drinking it all in at once would help it make more sense.

Everything had multiplied in size, towering over him, so even the wrinkles in his sheets looked large. "What the…" he started to say, only to break off in horror. He had no voice, no words, just a high pitched little meow. Light-headed, he sprang to his feet, little black paws getting twisted in his sheets, in his panic, and accidentally vaulting off the side of the bed, succeeding in cracking his head against the floor.

And then it went black.

The next morning he found a light dusting of fine black fur that wasn't there when he went to sleep. And he woke up on the floor. It was just a dream, he told himself over and over. Just a nightmare.

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The dream continued for the next month. Every night he would find himself small in a world of giants; a little tuxedo colored Barney, he learned once he found a mirror. He learned to be more careful and got knocked out less often, but still, some mornings he would wake up in some odd place at the foot of some tall surface. Slowly, the burning and itching subsided, getting less and less each night. Every cloud had its silver lining, he supposed.

His mother fussed over how he needed more sleep, spotting the dark circles under his eyes, and he couldn't help but agree, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop having the dream. It came to the point where he stopped wanting to.

She was a historian, his mother, specializing in Ancient China. When her son was born she insisted on naming him after the Nian, a mythical Chinese monster that was afraid of loud noises and the color red. Yup, that was him. Meanwhile his father, who was an optometrist, another exciting career, had gotten to name his eleven-year-old sister, Morgan.

Technically, Barney was her cat, a birthday gift from their parents, but for some reason the kitten had bonded to him. It seemed the little cat's personal mission in life to trip him, especially if he happens to be carrying something, and turn everything white he owned gray with his shed fur.

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It had been a month and a half now. Then _it _happened.

He was sitting in Spanish class, struggling to keep his eyes open when the principle came into the class room and told him there was a man from the government here who needed to talk to him. It was about his family. Numbly, Nian stood and followed him out the door, feeling the stares of the rest of the class burning holes in the back of his head. Any bit of tiredness he once had was gone now, banished by the surge of adrenaline carried by he pounding heart.

"What is it? What's wrong?" He asked, trying to keep from sounding as frantic as he felt. Nian stood facing the tall man with large horn-rimmed glasses on the fringes of the school near a little used street. The principle had long since excused himself. "_What's wrong with my family?" _He demanded when the man remained silent.

"Your family's fine," He said coolly, his eyes darted toward the street. Nian's eyes followed them and saw a dark van that had definitely not been there before, the back open and dark armed figures silently spilling out.

"No…" Nian murmured, shaking his head slightly, taking a step back. "Stay away from me," He growled, feeling his fingertips tingle slightly. The man stepped forward, making a move to grab him, but he instinctually struck out at him. Swearing under his breath the man jerked away, examining the four bloody lines that now marked the back of his hand.

Heart hammering, Nian glanced down at his hands, almost unsurprised to see small claws protruding from his fingertips, each one stained red with blood. This was all too much. Too much. Too much. He turned and ran as fast as his legs would take him…and didn't get five feet before something slammed into his back, accompanied by a jolt of electricity that set his body on fire with pain.

He laid there, face first in the dirt and half conscious for a moment before he felt a hard boot turn him over.

"Always the hard way," A cold voice said above him. The last thing he saw before unconsciousness took him was a man standing over him, the man with the horn-rimmed glasses.


	3. Light in the Darkness

**A/N: Greetings. I'm Leetle Sprinkles, the coauther. Exciting, no? This is the intro for Ada, my OC. Have fun. And remember, reviews are luff.**

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Chapter 2: Light in the Darkness

The young girl sat in front of the spotted mirror and ran her hands through her pixie-cut, cherry red hair. It was dark behind the curtain and she could hear laughter from the audience. Personally, she didn't find Stu very funny, but if they liked him. She shrugged to herself.

She heard the comedian give his farewell and he came backstage. "They're ready for ya now, Ada. I'm sure you'll impress...as always." Stu said, walking back to his part of the stage where he shrugged off his jacket and threw it over his shoulder.

"And now," the host announced from onstage, "we present the wondrous Magnificent Rose!"

The applause was always encouraging, despite the fact that she hated this job. It was nice to know that the people liked her performance, all the same. Sighing, she pushed her chair out and stood. Shaking her head when she glanced her gaudy, sequined dress in the mirror, she decided to, once again, not think about it and just get it over with. They could have dinner for a few more days at home, at the very least.

She walked out from behind the curtain and gave an exuberant wave to the crowd. She couldn't see their faces, as the lights were shining right in her eyes, but she could hear their cheers and couldn't suppress a smile.

"Hey, everybody! I think it's a bit too light in here for our purposes, don't you?" she called.

The cheering increased in volume.

"I'm glad you agree! I think I'll just turn them down!" She raised her hands, fingers splayed and quickly closed them into fists. The lights were instantly extinguished, leaving it very dark in the club. Ada blinked and stared into the crowd. Ah, this was better. She could still see them perfectly, though she could tell by the direction their eyes looked, they were all but blind in here.

Sticking her left arm out to her side, she opened her hand and hovering over her palm was a solid ball of soft, yellow light. She bounced it a few times and threw it above her head, catching it in her other hand. She chucked it into the crowd and it flew above their heads. Upon reaching the back of the room, it split into two orbs and circled back, each coming to a rest in one of her hands.

She didn't mind this part, the way she could flaunt this strange power and nobody seemed to care. Of course, they thought it was a trick. If they knew that it wasn't, that even she had no idea how she could do this, she had no idea what would happen. They'd probably want to study her or something. But she enjoyed it. Seeing the awed looks on the audience's faces as they followed the lights she created with the merest flick of her fingers, with a thought.

She juggled the balls of light, pushing them faster and faster through the air until the made shifting ribbons that shone like the sun. She made them twirl and dance for the people until, before she knew it, she too was dancing along, pulling them after her like balloons on a string. She and her lights flowed across the stage as one shining being. The crowd "ooed" and "awed" in wonder.

Judging her approximate position, she came to a complete stop near the center of the stage, hands raised as the two orbs fused back into one above her head. She concentrated as it grew and grew, swelling to the size of a beach ball before she pulled it apart and it exploded soundlessly into dozens of heatless sparks that rained down on the people. She smiled when the children tried to catch them with their small fingers. They reminded her of Mark, her little brother. He loved that trick.

When the tiny strands of light faded, the darkness returned and the crowd tried to blink away the pink-green afterimages.

Putting her arms back out, fists clenched, she said, "And now," She flicked her hands open and club's lights flew back to life, "I believe I have time for one more trick before I go! Who would like to come up here as a volunteer?"

Several hands flew into the air and her eyes found a young man, college perhaps, whose hand was being force higher by his friends who sat around him. She smirked and called to him.

"Could we have the young man in the back? The one being molested?"

They all laughed and the man, shaking his head sheepishly, was pushed toward the stage. Giving up, he walked up slowly, an embarrassed smile on his face as he looked out at all the people.

"What's your name, sir?" she asked

"Uh...Jeremy..." he answered, hesitantly.

"Folks," _Ugh, who says "folks", _she asked herself, "I'm going to make Jeremy here..._disappear."_

They all clapped and cheered in appreciation. Jeremy himself looked a bit wary.

"Don't worry, you don't have to do anything. Just be calm." She assured him.

He nodded, but didn't look much better.

She had to concentrate for this one and she closed her eyes. She picture the light rays being turned away from Jeremy's body. She made them bounce around him, completely hiding him from view. He faded and she heard him gasp in astonishment. But it was working.

The people too, were impressed, and they cheered and yelled her praises. She smiled.

"Who thinks I should bring Jeremy back?" she asked.

They cheered again.

"Alright!" This was easy, she just allowed the light to resume it's normal movement and he popped back into the visual spectrum.

He blinked in surprise and then smiled.

"Thank you all for being a great audience! And thank you Jeremy for so graciously...volunteering." Her gaze swept over to his buddies who were laughing again. "I have to go now everybody! Goodnight!"

She took a bow and swept behind the curtains again. Out of sight, she closed her eyes and sighed. They plastic smile slid from her face and she ruffled her hair so it was it was in it's usual conviniently messy style. Then she went to go find Charlie.

The owner of the club was a large, balding man with small glasses and a pinched face. His name was Charles and she knew he hated it when she called him Charlie. That's precisely why she did it.

She walked into the small, dingy office near the back and as she opened the door, she felt into knock intoa chair inside. Yeah, it was that small. She slipped in, the stupid dress catching on a protruding nail.

"Urgh," she grunted, trying to free it without tearing it. When she succeeded, she walked up to the large man's desk and leaned against it. He was sitting behind it, watching her with an air of superiority.

"Charlie, I need the pay for the performance tonight."

He scowled. "Why can't you pick it up at the end of the week like always."

Ada's face hardened. "Because we have no food and I want my little brother to have breakfast in the morning."

His watery eyes softened and, without a word, he pulled a black cashbox out of his desk, unlocked it and counted out her pay. Handing it to her, she, too, counted it. She nodded to him and murmured, "Thanks." It would suffice.

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Ada, on the porch of her rather rundown house, pulled the spare key down from the eaves and unlocked her door. It was late and she could hear the drunken snores from her useless lump of a mother emerging from the living room. She had most likely passed out on the couch. Again.

She slipped into Mark's room, lit by a small nightlight. She could see his dark hair poking from underneath his blanket as he hugged a small, stuffed dinosaur. He was the only reason she stuck around this place, trying to hold her home life together. Otherwise, she would have been long gone, leaving her mother to buy her own booze. Mark needed her, so she stayed. She leaned over and stroked his soft hair, kissing his head.

Then, she had to go to her own room to get out of the horrible dress. Shedding it, she donned her natural attire; jeans, a red tank top and black leather jacket. She also tied a silver, helix shaped pendant around her neck. It was the last thing that reminded her of her father in this house. Her mother had thrown out everything else.

Comfortable at last, she pocketed some of her pay, while putting the rest in a hidden box. Hidden from her mother. This money was for food, not beer, and she wouldn't get her grubby hands on it. A shoft chattering from the corner of the room grabbed her attention. In a meshed cage was a thin, black ferret with a white nose.

"Hey there, Fleta." she cooed. "Hey girl." She poked her fingers through the wire to stroke her tiny head. Fleta was her constant friend and often a source of comfort when things felt too hopeless.

Putting her keys in her pocket, she closed and locked the door, heading to the quick-stop store down the street.

She yawned, realized how late it was and decided to cut through an alley. It would be faster and she was so tired. When she was about halfway down it, the shadowy figure of a man stepped out of the shadows. He heart began to beat faster and she swallowed dryly. _Why did I take the alley!? _

"Ada Tamesis?" he called out to her, the moonlight glinting off the glasses perched on his face.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "What do you want with me?" Instinctively, her hands went out, ready to banish the light and run.

He took a step forward. "We need you to come with us."

_Us?_

She turned around to run the other direction, but a large, black van blocked the other end and men wearing masks filed out.

Her fatigued mind didn't know what to make of this. _Oh crap!_ She thought, tiredly. _Ninjas! _Suddenly, all the light was gone and she watched them blink stupidly. She went to sneak out the other side of the alley, but there was a loud snap and she felt something hit her solidly in the shoulder.

"Ahhh!" she cried, falling to the ground. She writhed as an electric current surged through her and blackness crept along the edges of her vision. She gasped in pain and, just before the darkness of unconsciousness swallowed her, her eyes picked out the glint of glasses on a face, staring down at her.

"We didn't say you had a choice," he said. Then everything was gone.

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**Honestly, I think my characters hate me. They always have either a tragic past or a terrible home life...**

_Or trust me, we do._

**Hey wait, who's that? How'd you get in here?**

_It's Ada, stupid. You know, everynow and then, I'd like a happy, normal life. _Nian_ gets a normal life._

**Nian belongs to McGee. I can't control what happens to him.**

Thank the Waffle, I'm McGee's. You're not very nice to your characters. 

**Okay, pick on Sprinkles time is over. Both of you, scat. **

**R&R, please?**


	4. Fly to the Light

**A/N: So Sprinkles _is s_citzo...Thats explains so much...Anywho, new chap. Not much to say other than that and _please _review. Pretty please? Don't make me beg. Reviews are our life's blood XD**

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Chapter Three: Fly to the Light

"Urgh…" He gurgled, his head lolling to the side as if he had lost all control over the muscles in his neck. Maybe he had, it was to hard to think now. He couldn't keep a hold of a thought, each one slipping away like sand through open fingers. Shadowy shapes were blurred to his slitted eyes, but some part of him was aware that he lay on some sort of hard cot, his wrists and ankles bound, with something fairly heavy on his chest, and he was moving.

Nian recoiled as an unattended computer monitor lit up just a foot away from his face, even its dim light searing his corneas. 'I'M GOING TO HELP YOU.' The words blipped across the screen so fast that when he did a double-take, they were gone. No, no, he thought, his groggy mind slowly but surely coming to, it's a trick, a lie.

'THERE ARE TWO OF THEM WITH YOU. YOU HAVE TEN MINUTES.'

Two of who? The people who did this to him? Ten minutes to do what? No, no. Trick.

'TRUST ME.'

Yes, because trusting strangers _always _turned out well. It was trusting a stranger that had gotten him into this in the first place. Still, he needed to get away from whoever these people were. Or at least try. Taking a deep breath through his nose, Nian squeezed his eyes shut, concentrating on the warm glow, the pins-and-needles tingling that had accompanied the dream like his life depended on it. As far as he was concerned, it did.

There. There it was. He focused, feeling it sliding through his limbs like an unreachable itch. Gingerly he moved one hand slightly, feeling the zip tie holding it down now loose enough for him to slip out of it. A trill of excitement at his success coursed through him, but he quickly banished it. He had work to do.

Careful not to make a sound he slipped each hand and foot out of their binds with agonizing slowness, a timer set to ten minutes mocking him in his head. Once they were free he subtly lifted his hands to grasp the narrow box attached to the drip attached to his nose, the feeling ebbing away as he watched with horror and excitement as they inched back to their normal size.

Before he could lose his nerve, Nian rolled off the cot and jerked into the standing position in one motion, the drip painfully yanked from his nose as he cracked the box into the side of his first victim's head. Heart hammering painfully against his ribcage, he went with the momentum and dispatched the other in the same way, the unconscious man slumping forward into the monitor he had been studying.

Only when the adrenaline died in his veins did he noticed the cot placed next to his, containing a girl with conspicuous cherry-red hair, bound in a similar manner to the way he was. He noticed her eyelids fluttering, her wrists subtly attempting to escape their prison. Trying to escape them without arousing their suspicion.

Gritting his teeth in annoyance at the setback, Nian dropped into a squat next to the man splayed unconscious on the floor of what he assumed was the van that had captured him, swiftly digging through his pockets in search of a sharp object. There, a switchblade. Flicking it open he sprang to his feet again, slipping the blade under the zip ties. He broke her binds, not really caring if he nicked her, but mostly managing not to.

"Thanks," She said, offering him a brief smile as she got to her feet, rubbing her wrists and glancing towards the double doors at the back of the vans roomy interior. "I say we open the door and hit the ground rolling--Ah!" The van came to a violent stop, sending them both tumbling forward into the doors, which sprang open under their weight, spilling them onto the busy street.

Nian forced himself to his feet, the asphalt leaving his forearms red and raw, and snatching the girls jacket collar, physically dragged her to the sidewalk before they could get run over.

"Run!" She yelled, staggering to her feet. Knowing that he shouldn't, he glanced behind him and saw the van's passenger and driver doors being flung open. Crap. He was brought back to his senses by a jarring blow to his shoulder as the girl took off like a bat out of hell. Weaving through the crowd, he bolted after her, ignoring the indignant shouts of those he bumped into.

His eyes darted around the congested street as he ran, searching for the girl's bright hair and coming up with nothing. Looked like he as on his own now, it'd be easier to remain inconspicuous without her anyways--

"Ah!" Nian flailed wildly, choking as something suddenly yanked him by his shirt collar into an alleyway, slamming his back against a grimy wall. Before he could collect himself the girl popped into his line of sight, giving him a look that clearly said 'Shut up if you want to live'. He opened his mouth to inform her they would find them here, but that only earned him a glare. This fugitive stuff got real old fast.

He held his breath as the heavy thud of boots heralded the arrival of their pursuer, the man with the horn-rimmed glasses pausing just feet away from them to catch his breath. How did he not see them?! The setting sun cast the alley in gray shadow, but they were still standing there right out in the open. Idly he wondered if the man needed a stronger prescription. The thought was jolted away though when the man's walkie-talkie crackled to life.

"Bennet," He answered it and Nian felt a surge of hatred towards him, glad he now had a name to put to the face. "No, they're gone," He responded to the radio's muffled response, "I'll keep looking, but I don't think we have much hope of finding them. Seems like Rebel's at it again." Slipping the walkie-talkie back into its holder Bennet turned and swept the alley with his eyes so slowly that for a moment it was as if he could see them, but then he turned and jogged off the way he had came.

After what seemed like forever the girl spoke, her voice light with relief. "That was a close one," She grinned, "I'm Ada, by the way, thanks for breaking me out back there."

"How did he not see us?" Nian practically demanded, in no mood for niceties.

Ada looked surprised, "I hid us by gathering the darkness around us," She said, as if their was nothing odd about that statement at all. "Like a caccoon, it's part of my ability. What's with that face?" She asked, seeing his baffled expression. "You have one too, I saw it. That's how you got out." She became grave. "I think that's why they took us."

"I don't know anything about any abilities!" He snapped, rubbing his pounding forehead. Ugh, he would give anything to go home. Or at least have some aspirin. "All I know is that for the past month I've been _dreaming_ that I've turned into my sister's kitten."

"A kitten?" Ada grinned.

"I don't have time for this," Nian growled, hesitantly leaving the relative safety of the alley. "I don't know about you, but I'd rather not spend the night on the streets of D.C."

"How do you know we're in D.C.?" She asked, following him out onto the sidewalk, past the storefronts that glowed in the dusk.

"Oh I don't know…" He looked pointedly at the point of the Washington Monument poking out of the skyline. Following his eyes, her mouth formed an 'o' of recognition. Just as they were passing an electronics store, a blip on one of the TVs caught his eye as it went from playing the news to a field of black marred only by a string of capital white letters.

"Hey! Warn a girl, will ya?" Ada complained, running into him when he stopped suddenly. "'Turn around'?" She read, bemused, aftering noticing the screen. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means to turn around."

As one they pivoted, surprised. Behind them, standing by the open door of a taxi, was a boy around thirteen years old, clutching a cell phone and smiling. "Hi, I'm Micah," He said simply, "We have a lot to talk about."

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**S/N: That stands for "Sprinkles' Note, by the way, as this is McGee's chapter. She's a lazy bum, I just wanted you all to know that. xD**


	5. Discovery

**A/N: New chapter, all. I _hate _coming up with chapter names. Well, I hope you guys enjoy it. And PLEASE, please, pretty please with Waffles on top, _review_. And we know you like Waffles. We know.**

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Chapter 4: Discovery

"How did you get this?" Kitten-Boy asked suspiciously, his eyes looking over the hotel room Micah had led them into. "I don't think hotels let ten-year-olds reserve rooms"

"Pardon, but I'm _thirteen." _The young boy said. Micah, wasn't it? That sounded like a girl's name to her, but hey, she didn't name him.

He was pacing in front of the TV in the far right corner of the room, away from the two wide windows. They shades were drawn though, and the door locked. Ada was sitting on one of the two beds, Kitten-Boy on the other. He looked real jazzed up and on edge, but his voice had a sarcastic tone to it that she could tell Micah didn't much like.

"I just hacked into the hotel's system and made it say me and my parents were staying in this room. It wasn't hard." Ada thought she noticed a slight catch in his voice when he said 'parents', but she couldn't be sure.

"When did that happen? I didn't see you with a computer. And since when did ten-year-olds become _hackers_?" Kitten-Boy had quite a meow, didn't he?

"_Thirteen." _Micah growled, clutching the phone in his hand tightly. The hotel lights flickered for an instant, but popped back on a second later.

The two teenagers couldn't help but connect it with the angered boy.

"Did...uh, you do that?" Ada asked, glancing at Kitten-Boy. She saw the same in his eyes before it faded behind his sarcasm again.

"Oh, come _on. _How could he possibly do that?"

"I don't really know, Mr. Kitten! How do I do what I can do?" She made herself glow to prove her point. "How can you become a cat? How does any of this stuff happen?"

She saw his eyes narrow when she said "Mr. Kitten."

"My name is _Nian."_ he hissed.

"Fine, whatever. I'm Ada. Nice to meet you." She huffed and looked back at Micah who was watching them with mild, if impatient, amusement.

"I talk to the machines." He said to Nian, answering his earlier question. "I'm a technopath." He touched the television screen and it jumped to life.

The other boy raised his eyebrows. "That's...interesting."

Micah nodded, a pleased smile on his face. "I assume you can shapeshift?"

Nian opened his mouth to protest, but Micah just kept talking, turning to Ada.

"I don't know what you can do, though. What was that?" Her glow had faded now, but she knew what he meant.

"I seem to be able to control light or dark," she said, creating an orb of light in her left hand and a shadowy one in her right. "It's actually pretty cool...and useful." She thought of the money hidden away in her room from her show and wondered if Mark would know where to find it.

Suddenly, she remembered Mark, alone at home, wondering what had happened to his sister. He, though young, was no stranger to the world's cruelty. He has often told Ada he didn't like her working so late at night, that some bad men would kidnap her and he'd never see her again. She swallowed painfully. He'd been right.

Meanwhile, Micah was staring interestedly at the balls of energy, as though figuring out exactly all the uses a power like hers could have.

Nian coughed, as though he had been forgotten. "So, uh, thanks for saving us and stuff, but...what happens now, exactly?"

"Yeah, I need to get home," Ada interjected. "My little brother's practically alone. Maybe worse." Her mother would occasionally enter a drunken rage and Ada would hide Mark away in his room and take the brunt of it, for his sake.

Micah looked at them sympathetically and she got the sense he knew _exactly _how it felt to be missing loved ones, feeling alone and confused in world you no longer seem to understand. He shook his head sadly.

"You can't go home."

Ada stiffened. What was that supposed to mean? Of course she could go home! It was where she belonged, where things made sense, where she had a family and a job that needed to be taken care of. She guessed that Nian was feeling the same way, from the expression on his face.

Micah noticed too, and quickly began to explain the situation. "They know who you are and they were after you because of what you can do. Your photokinesis and your shapeshifting." He looked at each of them in turn. "They're after people with powers, rounding them up and locking them away. I've been trying to help as best I can, trying to free them. I call myself Rebel when I talk to them because they can't know who I am. They _can't _find me. I feel like I'm the only person keeping them from closing in around us. And..." He hesitated, looking a little embarrassed, and also a little hopeful. "And I can't do it on my own anymore. I need help."

He looked at them with pleading eyes and he suddenly seemed so young, just a little boy trying to right the wrongs in this world. That single look conveyed all the helplessness, fear and pain he seemed to be feeling.

Ada's glare softened and she saw this and she had the strangest urge to just get up and give him a hug. To try and let him know he wasn't alone and convince him that everything was going to be all right. The oldest lie adults tell children. It _never_ seemed to be all right.

"And you expect _us _to help you?" Ada turned to Nian and his condescending snarl made her angry. She held her tongue though, because she wasn't quite sure what "helping" would involve.

And she wanted to go home too...

"Well," he continued. "_I_ don't want any part of this. I want to go home. I don't have any _powers_. Just some weird dreams. That's _all!" _The rant sounded less like he was trying to convince Micah and more like he was trying to convince himself. At least to Ada.

"I'm telling you. They know where you live. If you go home, they'll just find you again. You'll get captured and I may not be able to save you again. That means I'll be alone and you'll be in a drugged coma for who knows how long. Nobody wins."

Micah's argument was very logical. Nian saw this. But it seemed he didn't care. He just wanted to go home. Probably back to a perfect little family, Ada thought.

"Look, kid. I'm sorry, but I'm going home." He stepped forward with his arm raising, as though to knock Micah out of his way. Her internal protective switch flicking on, Ada stepped up and put her hand on his arm, as though to shove him backwards.

She never had to. As soon as she touched his skin, he jumped back as though she had electrified him.

She looked up to ask what his problem was, but her words stuck in her throat. His eyes were squeezed in discomfort and pain while his hair lengthened slightly, darkening from brown to black. He shrunk and he became thinner, less muscular and more lithe. He became distinctly feminine. When he opened his eyes again, they were green.

"Holy. Fricken. Crap." Ada whispered in shock. She was staring at herself, albeit without her bright red, dyed hair.

"What just happened?!" she heard her own voice cry, even though her mouth hadn't moved.

Micah was staring at them both in awe. "Wow... That happened just after she touched you. Maybe you need to harness someone's DNA before shifting into them." He walked around them as though studying them.

"Okay...yeah, I'm kinda freaking out here. Did...did he just become me?" Ada's voice was high-pitched with shock and disbelief.

"Oh crap! I'm a _girl?" _Nian-Ada shouted.

"Guys, calm down!" Micah had to shout for them to listen. "Everything's okay. This is what your power does, apparently. Do you see what I mean now? We're special and _they _don't like it. They're locking us up for what we can do! It isn't right!"

Nian nodded dumbly, staring down at his new body. Ada's face got red. "Don't you touch _anything!"_

Micah seemed to find that extremely funny and burst out laughing, so hard that he doubled over and fell onto the closest bed. Nian was next, though he tried with all his might to keep a straight face, he started laughing too. After Ada realized what she had said, she joined in until all three were in hysterics. It felt good to laugh. It took a little of the weight off their shoulders. It seemed like the weight of the world to them.

After awhile, Nian managed to change himself back into himself, a relief for him and Ada alike. He was sitting on a bed, while Micah laid in the other and Ada reclined beside him. The young boy looked so tired, too tired for someone his age. That was the way adults looked when they had problems. Probably the way they all looked now.

"So, if I have to touch things to get their shape, all I've got are a kitten and you..." He jerked his head toward Ada.

"Yeah?" Ada responded. "And..?"

"Well, those aren't going to be much help, now are they?"

Micah propped himself up. "Does...does that mean you're going to help me?" His eyes were lit up like it might've been Christmas.

Nian shrugged. "I guess so. What else is there to do?" But Ada noticed the tiniest curling of his mouth. The smallest hint of a smile.

Micah turned to face her. "And you too?" His small, hopeful smile was to much and she had to respond with a grin of her own. And a nod.

"Yeah, Micah. I'll help you too."

He flopped back down on the pillows, eyes closed and mouth smiling. "That's good." He said, tiredly. "Tomorrow, we can visit the zoo..." He trailed off into a yawn and a small, sleepy sigh.

Ada pulled the covers out from under him gently and covered him up. Running her fingers across his curly black hair, she was strongly reminded of mark, even though Micah looked nothing like him. It was their same innocent expression, but world-weary at the same time.

"But now, we sleep." she said, softly. He was already snoring quietly.

She laid down next to him and reached out to turn off her lamp, which plunged half the room into darkness.

She heard Nian rustle his blankets as he settled down into his bed. "Um...g'night then." she heard him say.

She smirked, eyes closed. "Night," she answered.

Then the lamp clicked off and the room went dark.


	6. Betrayal

Chapter 5: Betrayal

"It's about time," Nian commented lightly, his mouth half full of blueberry muffin, nonchalantly watching the other two drag themselves out of bed. "I got muffins."

"Where did you get muffins?" Ada asked groggily, her bright hair in disarray as she fell into one of the dingy hotel chairs.

"I may or may not have partook in some less than legal activities…"

"You stole them?!" Micah exclaimed, looking horrified he dropped his like he had just said they were poisoned while Ada shrugged and helped herself to it.

"No I didn't steal them, chill out," Nian sighed, rolling his eyes. "I was going to buy them but then I found out they have free continental breakfast here."

"You have money?" Ada asked, looking hopeful. She had already searched her pockets and come up dry.

"No, but _he_ does." he jerked his head towards Micah, "Not a lot, but seriously kid, who hides in in the hotel bible?"

Heat flared in the younger boys cheeks as he quickly changed the subject. "So, today we're going to go to the National Zoo, right? 'Cause Nian turning into a kitten isn't going to help us much."

"Right." Ada frowned, "Won't that be a little expensive? I don't know how much money you have but…"

"It's the Smithsonian, it's free. You don't get out much do you?" Nian smirked. Downing the last of his breakfast, he sprang to his feet. He really was looking forward to getting new forms, not that he would admit it if you asked, "Alright, let's go."

-----

"Okay, you are _definitely _getting Red Panda," Ada decided firmly, holding the zoo map in front of her, her eyes darting between the list of exhibits and Micah, making sure he didn't get lost in the jostling crowd.

"Why?" Nian asked, raising an eyebrow. He was following close behind them, his hands stuffed firmly into the pockets of his jacket, rightly paranoid.

"They're just _so_ cute!" She nodded enthusiastically, as if that were the best reason of all.

"Besides that, what would be useful?" Micah asked, peering over her shoulder at the map.

"How about this," Nian suggested ever so specifically, walking off toward a handler showing off a large bald eagle.

Feeling out of place among a line of little kids and their parents he waited patiently for his turn to touch the bird. Feeling the handler's suspicious eyes look him over, he gently stroked the eagle's dark brown feathers, hurrying off once he felt the still unfamiliar static shock that meant he had acquired their form.

"See, it's not so hard." He smiled triumphantly as he returned to the other two.

"Umm…" Ada started, both of them staring at him strangely. "You're hands…"

"What? Oh…" His hands were covered in a light sheath of downy brown feathers. Annoyed, Nian concentrated and watched as they receded, he had thought he had a tad more control over that glanced at his watch.

"C'mon, its almost time." He said urgently, walking off with Ada following him closing like a mother hen.

"For what?" He questioned, jogging to catch up with them. Did he not get a memo or something?

The boy grinned, "Lunch time."

---

"All the animals crowd in the back when its almost time for them to get fed, right?" Micah explained, leading the way confidently. "So we sneak in right before lunch and you can reach in and touch them real quick to get their form!" He was grinning, obviously proud of himself for coming up with the plan.

"Oh," Nian blinked, glad that _someone_ had a plan, "That works too,"

"Oh, you had a plan?" Ada sounded amused.

He just rolled his eyes, watching skeptically and Micah pressed one hand against a 'Employees Only' door, his eyes closed as he concentrated. It opened with a click and he gestured for them to follow, quickly slipping in before they could be noticed. "We won't show up on the security cameras, now we only have to avoid the staff. Though from what the cameras tell me, the coast is clear."

Ada whistled appreciatively while Nian tried not to look as impressed as he was, muttering, "Showoff…"

Despite Nian's doubts that he had any idea where they were going, Micah led them to the lion enclosure. " Thank God for the electronically age, huh?" He muttered as Micah used his mojo to unlock the door that opened up into the enclosure, which was operated by a keypad rather than a conventional key.

"I think Nian should take a moment to say goodbye to his limbs. Y'know, just in case." Ada voiced in a serious voice, though she was grinning.

Glaring at her, Nian stepped up, his hand darting into the enclosure to brush the tan fur covered side of a male lion as he stalked past the opening. Feeling a zap through his fingertips he jerked his hand back, heart hammered against his ribcage.

The rest of the day continued similarly, the three practically tiptoeing from enclosure to enclosure, seeing a menagerie of various animals. All in all,  
Nian had acquired a variety of forms to his collection that already included Barney the kitten, a bald eagle, a lion, and Ada. Through the now familiar zap he had gotten the forms of a Mexican wolf, a Przewalski's Horse, a cheetah, a river otter, a black-footed ferret, and a red panda. The last three mostly because Ada insisted "they were so darn cute.".

It was about two when they sat down to eat lunch, Micah complaining lightly about how the prices these places charged were highway robbery,

Nian mostly ignoring him while Ada agreed. The girl had really taken the younger boy under her wing, Nian had noticed, almost as if he filled up a void left from her old life. Their lives before they were dragged kicking and screaming into this mess.

"I want answers, Noah." The voice was soft, but so painfully familiar that it carried through the chatter of the crowd and sent a jolt of surprise through him. That voice, could he be imagining it? His head whipped around, scanning the crowd before resting on a bench holding only two people. One was the man with the horn-rimmed glasses, Bennet. The other was his father.

Shock seeped through his veins as he stood numbly, mumbling "I'll be right back," to the other two, who watched him leave in confusion. Passing a tree his hand zipped up, touching a squirrel before it skittered off, chattering angrily. He then ducked behind a bush, the world growing around him as he shifted to his newly acquired form. Almost in a daze he bolted towards the bench, just another squirrel in the zoo's large population, he huddled under it, eavesdropping on the above conversation.

"You haven't answered my question, Bennet." His father's voice growled, obviously no longer on first name terms with the glasses man. "Where is my son?"

"Hell if I know," Bennet said icily, "He hasn't been cooperating, to say the least."

"Good," The other man voiced his approval.

"Do I need to remind you that I neglected to mention you had an ability to them, Oliver?" Bennet said in a dangerous voice, "Because that can always change."

"No, but you turned in my _son_, Noah. I guess you're kindness only stretches so far." He snapped. His voice then turned pleading. "Please, Noah, you have a daughter. You know what it's like."

"I didn't tell them about you because you're not dangerous, because we were colleagues once." Bennet explained. "Nian's power can be dangerous, he had to be contained. Maybe your daughter does as well." The threat hung heavy between them.

There was a long silence before Oliver whispered, "You know Morgan lacks the genetic marker…"

"Do I?" The bespectacled man asked harshly, "Would you risk one child for another?"

More silence. "Just tell me, Noah, what's his ability?" He asked shakily.

"Shapeshifting," Bennet answered after a hesitant pause.

"How can you do this?" His father asked, sounding defeated, "Aren't you tired of it? After all those years at The Company?"

"There are only so many crossword puzzles," Was that answer, Bennet stood, "Good bye, Oliver."

"Good bye, Noah."

Nian waited until the man's heavy footsteps had receded to dart up to the bench seat. There was his father, a painful and confusing reminder of  
home, sitting there dejectedly with his head in his hands. A full minute passed before he noticed the squirrel just sitting there staring at him.

"Hello there," He said in a quite voice, followed by the strange chattering sound that Nian couldn't make heads or tails of.

"You don't understand me?" Oliver said mostly to himself, bemused. Realization dawned in his eyes, "You're a shapeshifter aren't you? I'd be careful if I were you, friend. They're rounding people like us up, you kn…Wait. Nian, is that you?"

The son blinked, backing away slowly, his limbs trembling. People like _us_? His father had an ability all this time and he never said a word? He had worked with Bennet, his captor? Betrayal swept over him like a way.

"Nian, I'm sorry. I-I can explain everything…"The man's hand reached out as if to grab him but Nian was too quick in the jumpy squirrel form, darting away from him and getting lost in the crowd of so many others.

The shapeshifter just sat in a bush for a while, watching his father, a man he had thought he knew, look for him in vain before leaving in defeat.

Shifting back to human he made his way back to Micah and Ada, even though company was the last thing he wanted right now, a terrible sadness aching in his chest.  
_  
Welcome to your life, Nian, _he thought, _everything you know is a lie._


	7. Death Toll

Chapter 6: Death Toll

Ada looked up as Nian returned to the table. He sat down and, though his face was emotionless, something in his eyes worried her.

"Where'd you head off to?" she asked, watching him concernedly. Something was wrong...

"Bathroom," he murmured, distracted. He looked at his half-finished meal like he had never seen a burger before.

On the other hand, Micah was snarfing his meal down so fast, you'd think the boy was starving. Picking at her fries, she felt nervous sitting among all these people, since now she was being hunted. _Fugitives, _she thought. _That's what you all are now. _It wasn't a pleasant thought.

Suddenly, there's a high-pitched beeping sound from Micah's pocket and, after wiping a greasy hand on his jeans, he reaches in to pull out his Blackberry. Ada leaned sideways to read whatever it was a saw that it was an email.

_From: .org_

_To: _

_Subject: Capture Alexander; Philadelphia _

_The escapee from the Company, Alexander, has finally been traced to Philadelphia. I expect you and your team to head out and capture him and soon as possible._

_His power is, as of yet, unknown. Take caution, as it is rumored to be powerful._

_Take him in alive, preferably._

_-Danko_

"Who's Danko?" she asked, looking to Micah, whose brow was furrowed in worry. "Is he the one after the people with abilities?"

The boy nodded and heaved sigh. "Guys, it's time to get to work."

"What?" Nian asked, glancing up at the two of them without lifting his head.

"A hero's in trouble. I just intercepted an e-mail from the guy who's after us. He sent a team to go after someone named "Alexander".

"...And?" The older boy seemed completely uninterested.

Ada raised an eyebrow. "So...we have to go help them!" She turned to Micah. "Right?"

He nodded and shot a look at Nian, who was feigning indifference by lounging in his chair.

"What's you problem?" she spat at him. "Don't you want to save the others? Or do you just not care if they get captured!?"

He narrowed his eyes and all four legs of his chair were suddenly back on the ground. "Of _course_ I care. But, I'm just a kid. _We're _just kids. Why should _we _have to deal with this stuff?"

Micah looked straight at him and said, very calmly, "Because we're the only ones that will."

That stopped the other boy dead and his gaze shifted to the table, as he leaned back in his chair.

"So, are we going to go or what?" Ada asked, trying to push the atmosphere back to tolerable. She had already stood up and was leaning against the table, looking at the others.

Micah jumped up in response, but Nian continued to sit there, watching the table like it's pattern was the most interesting thing on the planet.

"Nian?" she asked gently. "Are you coming?"

He sighed and pushed his chair out, nodding as he, too, stood. Ada grinned. "Well then, lets get moving, huh?"

---------------------------

Later in the afternoon, the group had boarded a Greyhound bus on the way to Philadelphia. Ada sat next to Micah, while Nian sat a seat in front of them. Boredom struck them and they sat, fidgeting, wanting to do something. Surely, Danko's men weren't riding a bus. Did they really expect to get there before them?

Micah's head was leaning against Ada's shoulder, but she couldn't tell if he was sleeping or not. Her hand compulsively stroked his curly black hair. She sighed.

Nian, directly in front of her, turned around. He was nibbling on the ear of a Easter Clearance chocolate bunny he had somehow picked up at the bus station. But his gaze was still distant, thinking about something else. But she wasn't one to pry. If someone wanted to talk about something, they would. Otherwise, she would leave it be and voiced what was on _her_ mind.

"What if we get there too late?" she asked.

He paused for a moment and took another bite. "We won't. It takes time to put an organized team together, with all the equipment and people and all. And they'd probably strike tomorrow, when it's light. If we get there tonight, we probably have a good chance of saving this Alexander guy."

Then, surprisingly, he broke off one of the bunny's feet and handed it to Ada.

She gave him grateful half-smile and leaned back in her seat, resting her brightly-colored head atop Micah's and sucking on the chocolate. Nian turned back around to stare out his window. It was still another 2 hours to Philly.

----------------------------

It was getting dark by now, but they were so close to Alexander's address. The one that was attached to the e-mail Micah has received.

It felt so strange to Ada, to be back in her home city. Everything was so familiar, but different at the same time. Looking around, she realized she knew this street. She walked this way from the theater to her house. She had come this way the night she has been captured.

They continued down the street and Ada was battling the urge to run home and make sure Mark was all right. _But that would only put him in danger, _she berated herself. _They're hunting you._

"Guys!" Nian called, stopped before a nondescript house, without a car and a slightly overgrown lawn. "This is the address."

Micah nodded and took the lead, walking confidently up to the door.

"Why aren't you just doing your "mysterious secret Rebel technology" stuff?" Nian asked.

"I've been trying to track down this hero for awhile, too. But he doesn't have any technology. Not even a phone. He only pays his electric bills for the lights and heat." He looked up at the gold-painted door knocker. "He's clever. He knows that they would be able to track him. He's gonna be suspicious. We have to be careful."

Reaching up, he knocked three times on the door and waited. They heard shuffling on the other side and realized he was looking through the peephole. With a quick metal-on-metal sound, the door cracked open. A chain lock was drawn across the forehead of the face peering through gap. The green eye narrowed.

"Can I help you? I don't want anything you're selling."

Ada smiled and wanted to respond, but thought it wise to leave the talking to Micah.

"We're not selling anything, Alexander." the boy assured.

The man behind the door started.

"Do I...know you?"

"No sir, but I know _about _you. I know you have an ability. I know you escaped from Primatech." The man's eyes widened in shock. "And I also know that men are coming to capture and even kill you."

His wide, dark eyes pleaded with the man, begging him to believe them.

"Alexander, please. We need to leave. We don't know when they'll be here, only that we've beaten them for now."

"How do I know _you're _not the agents. What if this is a trap?"

Micah looked over his shoulder to his two older companions and they understood what he wanted them to do. Ada formed the two, condensed balls of light in her fist and Nian held up his hand as it shifted into the lion, claws unsheathed, golden fur shining in the streetlights on the curb.

The man's eyes widened. "You...you have abilities too?"

All three children nodded, Nian regaining his hand again.. The man on the other side of the door disappeared for a moment, and the _snick_ of metal came again. Slowly, the door reopened and on the other side there was a taller man with straggly, dirty-blonde hair, stubble on his chin and wide green eyes. He has on a thin, un-tucked white shirt and baggy, dark jeans. Loosely tied white tennis shoes were on his feet. All in all, he looked scruffy.

"Do you need to get something or can we leave? The farther away from here we can get, the better for all of us. " Micah stated.

He shook his head, too-long bangs falling in his face. Ada was watching him curiously. The shape of his face, the color of his eyes, the casual, tousled look of his hair. Did she know him from somewhere? She flicked her gaze away when he glanced at her. Hey, staring was rude.

"We should go then," Micah continued. He started to turn, but abruptly stopped. "Sorry, I forgot. I'm Micah, that's Nian and that is Ada."

She thought she saw something flash behind his eyes; confusion, surprise, both? She wasn't sure, and it was disconcerting.

He nodded and still seemed to be in a slight state of shock. But they needed to get out of there, since they weren't sure when Danko's people were going to show up. Stepping out into the street, the group of four started to make their way downtown. They had already decided before arriving that they would spend the night in a pretty much unknown (and probably shady) motel. But it's not like _they_ had to be afraid of the everyday, run-of-the-mill junkie or burglar.

The walk was quiet and uncomfortable, the new addition making the group nervous. Ada suspected he felt the same way. As they rounded a corner, she was going to try and start a conversation. But as she looked up the street, she stopped dead. Ahead of them were two black vans blocking the road and a squad of men dressed in similarly colored suits.

And one of them was holding Mark by the arm, a handgun pressed against his temple.

Mark, _her_ Mark, looked terrified. His shaggy blonde hair hung askew in front of his crooked glasses. His breathing came in sharp, quick gasps of fear that she could hear from where they stood. It seemed he has long stopped struggling to get away, but his eyes, his trusting green eyes, found her standing there. Hope flared in them.

"_Ada!"_ he screamed. "Ada, help! They're _hurting _me! Ada, I'm scared!"

His voice broke and tears glistened on his cheeks. She felt herself go cold. Why did they have Mark? What were they going to do? She struggled to control her own breathing. She had to help Mark. She had to get him away from _them_. She had to save him.

"You come with us and the kid walks," the man said; plain, simple and cold.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Alexander was standing behind her, but she couldn't seem to focus right. Everything seemed blurry and unimportant. Why was he holding her back? She had to get to Mark!

"It's a ploy." he whispered to her. She found his voice oddly comforting and calmed down maybe a fraction. She looked pleadingly at him, confusion apparent on her face.

"This is how they play their game. I know, I've played it before. They take what you care about and use it against you. But the Company _I _ran from wouldn't hurt an innocent kid. Especially one without an ability." He stared at her. "They'll capture us if you try and get to him. We need to _run._ Get away, anywhere but here."

"But...Mark..." she whimpered, still trying to tear herself away.

"Ada, he's right!" Nian interjected, grabbing her wrist. "We need to run! Do your shadow trick and they won't be able to find us!"

Micah only looked scared.

Ada swallowed and saw sense in what they were saying. Closing her eyes, she gathered veils of shadow around all four of them and they started running in the opposite direction. They heard the man's voice from behind them.

"Wrong choice."

Then there was a gunshot.

Ada wheeled around, just in time to watch Mark's limp body fall sideways onto the street. She choked on her breath, mangled sobs of shock and grief barely escaping her throat. Impulsively, her hands balled into fists and she gritted her teeth. They killed Mark....

They _killed Mark._

"Close. Your. Eyes." She snarled quietly to her companions.

"What?" Nian asked, staring straight ahead, shocked as well.

"Close them!"

She barely gave them a second before just releasing all her rage, grief and pain into one big blast of white light. Wind ruffled the hair of the men a split second before the light reached them and they got an idea of what was going to happen.

But they weren't fast enough.

They screamed as their eyes burned and stung. She watched them blink rapidly, trying to clear their vision. Their hair stood up on end and they almost seemed to smoke with the sheer power of the blast.

"Ahh. I can't see!

The cry rang through the streets and they stumbled, blind, into the grass and disappeared behind houses and into yards. Trying to escape from something that has already happened. But she didn't care. They disappeared and she ran and collapsed at Mark's side.

His hair was bloodstained and slicked back with the dark liquid. A gruesome hole in the side of his head bespoke of his violent death. His small, wire-rimmed glass lay on the pavement, surprisingly unbroken.

She clutched at his sleeves and gathered his limp body into her lap. Tear streaming from her eyes, she pressed her face into his shoulder.

"Why? Why Mark? Why?" She repeated it over and over, as though it could somehow undo what had been done.

Micah kneeled on the other side of Mark's small body. Her brother was even younger than he was. She felt a hand on her shoulder once again. But it wasn't a restraint, it was a comfort. She felt, rather than saw, Nian slowly sink down on her side. He didn't say anything. There was nothing to say.

She rocked back and forth cradling him in her arms. Peeling her face away from shirt, wet with her tears, she looked as his face. How is it he could look so peaceful? Though his eyes were open and unseeing, looking blankly at the dark sky. Staring at him, something clicked. She didn't have this big epiphany, she didn't gasp aloud with realization. She just understood something.

Looking up, she found Alexander standing off to side. His face, his hair. Even the way her held himself, unsure and awkward.

He was the spitting image of Mark.

And his eyes were the same color as hers.

"D-dad?" she stammered, voice thick with pain. "You're...dead."

* * *

**A/N: Yesh, I'm a horrible, terrible person and I left you with a cliffhanger. All you have to do is bug McGee to write the next chapter. I could use the help, she's a lazy bum. xD**


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